holds vs exercises vs sequences

[braindx]

Well, this is a fairly impromptu post so it may jump around a fair bit.

Anyway, I just got to thinking recently about how I prefer exercises over holds mainly because isometrics tend to develop strength within a certain range of motion (ROM) of the movement (I've heard within ~20% of ROM) rather than in every position that the muscles are in. Well, in my personal training I am not so much looking to perform strength moves like planche, front lever, cross, etc. as much as get strong over a whole chain of movements like in handstand, planche and dip positions (not to say I don't want the moves themselves because I do). Therefore, I tend to emphasize exercises over holds to a large degree. And yes, I know this is why my strength holds develop much more slowly than my strength in exercises, but as I said before I am looking for that overall strength in all positions.

So anyway, the majority of what this post is about is namely emphasizing sequences over exercises. Well, to more or less define sequence it would be two or more moves/exercises combined into one. One of the downsides might be that it would require a fair bit more of endurance needed to do a sequence multiple times as opposed to an exercise. On the other hand, a properly designed sequence of moves in constrast to a set of the same exercise will stimulate your muscles in multiple ways which should in theory be more effective for gaining strength especially if you are treating such a sequence of moves as a set instead of a repetition.

So, for example:

~L-sit 2s to hollow back press to handstand 2s, HSPU, eccentric to tuck planche, tuck planche pushup, eccentric rings turned out support, RTO dip, L-sit 2s.

That itself would be one sequence for say the upper body pushing. This in theory might be more effective than say doing sets of reps for dips, tuck planche pushups and HSPUs separately on rings. Ultiminately, in breaking down the sequence to individual exercises the only added difference is the transitions from movement to movement, but the stimulus of the muscle fibers in said positions should be more effective just as doing exercises is 'generally' superior to doing holds.

Well, that's generally the gist of it. However, pushing/pulling can be combined into one I suppose, and that's where routines come in as they are generally a combination of sequences. From what I've heard (anecdotally at least), a lot of the elite gymnasts just tend to do rings routines for strength and maybe add a little bit on the side if they're working a specific move. So in effect a routine may be taking this one step further by combining swinging, pushing and pulling movements into one.

Thoughts, comments, (already knew this )?

[aw0n0]

wow, still no replies. for what its worth heres my 2 cents...

im pretty sure this IS how elite gymnasts train, but im also pretty sure they don't train as much for strength as for endurance. they already have all their moves/holds down and are just training up the endurance to be able to perform a minute or so worth of high intensity strength moves.

[braindx]

True, there is somewhat of constant tension during a sequence as I noted. Hmm, however if you've already worked up to a fairly high volume of strength work would the endurance component matter at all as compared to the transitions? I *think* that has to be a major consideration as well.

Well, basically what this means is that it might not work as well for people with beginning level of strength as it would for more advanced/elite levels of strength because generally the latter has a better endurance/conditioning component just inherently from their previous training.

[David Picó García]

I think this is a great way of training and specially because is fun.

I'm a beginner but i can also do an easy (not for me :wink: ) routine on rings:

Muscle up -> L-sit (hold) -> shoulder stand (trying to push to handstand, not possible for me) -> forward roll ->hang to inverse hang (some shoulder shrugs) -> one leg tucked back lever -> skin the cat -> inverse hang -> down to one leg tuck front lever -> hang -> muscle up -> support (hold)